Wire fence



(No Model.)

P. J. SGHILD. WIRE FENCE.

Patented Apr.'5, 1898.

PzZmJ 5072174.

TH: nonms PETERS 00.. PnoTauTHQ. WASHXNDTON D c UNITED STATES PATENT 'FFICE.

PETER J. SCI-IILD, OF IONIA, MICHIGAN.

WIREJFENCEL SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 601,986, dated April 5, 1898. Application filed July 22, 1897. Serial No. 645,539. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, PETER J. SOHILD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ioni'a, in

' the county of Ionia and State of Michigan,

have invented a new-and useful Wire Fence, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wire fences, and particularly to a tie or securing device for connecting the members of a wire fabric or structure at their points of intersection, one of the intersecting members having spaced, preferably'parallel, parts or legs.

The object in view is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient tie or connection which may be applied with facility and which is adapted to connect smooth-surfaced crosssectionally-round fabric members, such as wire, to prevent the relative displacement of either of the members.

A further object of the inventionis to provide a simple specific form oflink constituting the improved tie and consisting of a single blank of wire, said link being formed without welding or otherwise permanently connecting the extremities of the blank.

Further objects and advantages of this in-. vention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of a portion of a fence, showing the tie embodying my inventionapplied in the operative po sition thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail view in perspective of the tie and the contiguous portions of a stay and a runner of a fence. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the tie, showing the contiguous portions of a stay and runner. Fig. 4 is a detail View in perspective of the tie previous to application to a fence. Fig. 5 is a similar view of a'slightly-modified form of tie consisting of anendless link.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings. Y

In disclosing my invention'I have deemed it sufficient to show and describe the tie as applied to the intersecting members of a wirefence structure; but it will be understood that the improvement is equally applicable to any other analogous wire fabric or any other structure in which it is necessary to firmly connect and bind together wires, rods, or analogous members intersecting each other approximately at right angles, and while the 5 5 tie constituting the essential novel feature is designed especially for connecting smoothsurfaced intersecting members to prevent relative displacement of, either of those members it will be understood that the utility of the tie is not limited solely to smooth-surfaced members, but that the same may be applied to intersecting members of a crimped or corrugated construction. 7

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a single-strand member of a wire structure, such as the runner of a fence, and 2 desi nates a double-strand member of awire structure, such as the'stay of a fence, said doublestrand member when in a fence structure preferably, consisting of a hairpin or looped stay of which the spaced parts or legs arearranged in contact with the runners at contiguous points.

The tie 3, by which the intersecting parts of the structure are secured together, consists of a link of elongated construction having ter portion of the tie is arranged to span the 0 double-strand member or stay in contact with that side of the stay which is opposite to the intersecting single-strand member or runner, the terminal loops of the tie being engaged with the single-strand memberor runner at 5 the opposite edges of thestay or contiguous to the outer or remote sides of the parallel parts or legs of said stay, whereby the stay is fitted between the runner and the connecting or parallel-sided portion of the tie.

In constructing a fence the runners are first IOO stretched, as in the ordinary practice, after which in the plane of each proposed stay a tie is fitted upon each runner, this engagement being accomplished by applying the tie laterally or transversely to the runner to cause the latter to be seated in the upturned looped extremities of the tie. The stay is then threaded through the alined series of ties, between the connecting or parallel-sided portions thereof and the plane of the runners, and it is obvious that this engagement of the stay with the ties will permanently hold the ties from accidental disengagement until, as hereinafter more fully explained, the ties are crimped or bowed to securely lock the parts with the stay at the desired elevation.

As before described, the upturned looped extremities of the tie are preferably disposed approximately perpendicular to the plane of the connecting or parallel-sided portion of the tie previous to the application of the latter to the structure, the opposite or deflected eX- tremities of the link being of sufficient length to enable the loops thus formed to receive the runners and still leave sufficient space between the plane of a runner and said connecting or parallel-sided portion of the tie to allow the parallel parts or legs of the stay to be introduced with facility; and in order to subsequently clamp the members of the fence structure together to prevent displacement said connecting or parallel-sided portion of the link is crimped or deflected inwardly or toward the plane of the runner, and obviously upon opposite sides of or above and below the runner to draw the looped extremities of the tie in the opposite direction, and thus force a runner into frictional contact of the desired severity with the parts or legs of the stay. This central bowing of the connecting portion of the tie between the parts or legs of the stay and toward the runner forms depressions or seats between the bow and the upturned terminal loops, said seats receiving and firmly holding the parts or legs of the stay from lateral displacement. I have found it desirable in practice, however, to not only crimp or bow the connecting or intermediate portion of the tie inwardly or toward the runner, but also to crimp the runner inwardly or toward the tie, and hence in the opposite direction to the bow of the tie and between the points of contact of the runner with the stay, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, thus producing a double lock, which effectually prevents the displacement of either of the intersecting members of the fence or other structure. A further effect of the inward bowing of the central or intermediate portion of the tie is to deflect the looped terminal portions of said tie outwardly, the

parallel parts or legs of the stay forming ful- 1 crums about which the upturned looped extremities of the tie swing, and itis obvious that this outward deflection of the terminal looped portions of the tie causes them to bind firmly against the runner beyond the edges or legs of the stay, the pressure of said looped portions of the tie being in a direction to force the runner toward said parallel parts or legs of the stay and thereby lock the stay against movement parallel with the runners.

The tie which I prefer to employ in this connection by reason of its simplicity and cheapness of construction is formed of a single blank of wire doubled upon itself at its center to form a loop and having its extremities in turn doubled upon themselves in opposite directions to form registering hooks, which lie in contact or contiguous to each other, and thus form a reinforced loop, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4:; but it is obvious that this construction is susceptible of modification, as may be seen by reference to Fig. 5, wherein the tie consists of a continuous or endless link, which may be formed either by welding or brazing the extremities of the .blank together orby stamping the link from plate metal.

Either of these forms of the tie is capable of application to a wire structure by the means and in the manner hereinbefore specifically described; but, as above indicated, the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, wherein the link consists of a continuous blank of wire doubled upon itself to form an intermediate loop and terminal registering hooks, is preferable by reason of its cheapness and thefact that it can be made by means of the ordinary tools at the commarid of a wire-worker of ordinary ability. In other words, the link which I prefer to use in connection with wire-fence construction is adapted to be made without recourse to skilled labor, and hence is adapted to be formed and applied by the consumer.

Various changes in the form, proportion,

and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention. 7

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A wire fabric having intersectingsingle and two strand members, the two-strand member comprising spaced parts or legs, and

ties connecting said members at their points of intersection, each tie consisting of a link having upturned terminal closed loops engaging a single-strand member respectively beyond the opposite edges of the intersecting two-strand member, and having a connecting portion, between said terminal loops, ar

ranged in contact with the two-strand member upon the opposite side from the singlestrand member and bowed inwardly between *the parts or legs of the two-strand member,

substantially as specified.

2. A Wire structure having intersecting single and two strand members, and ties connecting said members at their points of intersection, each tie consisting of an elongated I closed link having terminal upturned closed loops engaging a single-strand member respectively beyond the parts or legs of the two-strand member, and having a connecting parallel-sided portion between said terminal loops arranged in contact with, and spanning the interval between, the parts or legs of the two-strand member at the opposite side from the single-strand member and bowed inwardly between said parts or legs, substantially as specified.

3'. A fence having runners intersected by a stay provided with spaced parts or legs, and a tie consisting of a link having looped upturned extremities engaging a runner beyond the parts or legs of the stay, the portions of the tie and runner between the parts or legs of the stay being bowed inwardly or toward each other, substantially as specified.

4. A fence having runners intersected by a stay provided with spaced parts or legs, and a tie consisting of an elongated parallelsided link, having upturned looped extremities engaging a runner beyond the parts or legs of the stay, the connecting portion of the link havingits parallel sides arranged to span the interval between the parts or legs of the stay upon the opposite side thereof from the runner, and respectively above and below the plane thereof, and the portions of the runner and the parallel sides of the link, between the parts or legs of the stay, being bowed inwardly or toward each other between said parts or legs of the stay, whereby the bowed portion of the runner lies between the planes of the bowed portions of the sides of the link, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of'two witnesses.

PETER J. SCI-IILD.

Witnesses:

' GEORGE L. KELNER, CHARLES C. SOHILD. 

